Degrees conferred by degree-granting institutions, by control of institution, level of degree, and field of study: 2008-09

Field of study

Public institutions

Private institutions

Associate's degrees

Bachelor's degrees

Master's degrees

Doctor's degrees1

Associate's degrees

Bachelor's degrees

Master's degrees

Doctor's degrees1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

All fields, total

596,098

1,020,435

308,206

39,911

191,227

580,933

348,578

27,805

Agriculture and natural resources

5,487

21,592

4,053

1,228

237

3,396

824

100

Architecture and related services

584

7,278

3,986

161

12

2,841

2,601

51

Area, ethnic, cultural, and gender studies

156

5,568

1,063

130

17

3,204

716

109

Biological and biomedical sciences

2,302

55,336

6,079

4,793

62

25,420

3,819

2,164

Business

70,489

191,485

58,543

880

57,359

156,500

109,832

1,243

Communications, journalism, and related programs

2,132

54,476

3,484

438

590

23,533

3,608

95

Communications technologies

2,678

1,120

65

0

2,125

3,980

410

2

Computer and information sciences

13,359

18,048

8,943

1,030

16,647

19,946

8,964

550

Construction trades

3,466

157

0

0

786

11

0

0

Education

12,751

73,019

83,513

5,181

1,372

28,689

95,051

3,847

Engineering

2,006

52,763

22,684

5,781

175

16,370

12,066

2,150

Engineering technologies2

19,992

11,921

1,803

22

10,442

3,191

1,652

37

English language and literature/letters

1,513

38,912

5,989

984

12

16,550

3,272

287

Family and consumer sciences

8,078

18,380

1,674

248

942

3,525

779

85

Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics

1,288

14,581

2,588

747

339

6,577

1,004

364

Health professions and related clinical sciences

112,527

72,555

29,802

5,554

52,636

47,933

32,818

6,558

Legal professions and studies

4,933

2,055

1,267

62

4,129

1,767

3,883

197

Liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities

251,285

32,392

1,448

25

12,568

14,704

2,280

42

Library science

116

78

5,811

35

0

0

1,280

0

Mathematics and statistics

922

10,324

3,793

1,092

8

5,172

1,418

443

Mechanics and repair technologies

9,616

164

0

0

6,450

59

0

0

Military technologies

660

42

0

0

61

13

3

0

Multi/interdisciplinary studies

14,932

26,330

3,155

723

527

11,114

2,189

550

Parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies

1,159

23,735

3,759

258

428

7,932

1,063

27

Philosophy and religious studies

88

5,685

724

262

103

6,759

1,135

424

Physical sciences and science technologies

3,523

15,329

4,266

3,548

94

7,137

1,392

1,500

Precision production

1,917

6

0

0

209

23

10

0

Psychology

2,452

63,030

7,907

2,316

1,497

31,241

15,508

3,161

Public administration and social service professions

3,882

15,419

20,987

494

296

8,432

12,946

318

Security and protective services

21,207

25,800

2,694

85

11,826

16,000

3,434

12

Social sciences and history

9,047

113,455

10,785

2,737

95

55,045

8,455

1,497

Social sciences

8,570

90,303

8,328

2,149

87

43,486

7,370

1,167

History

477

23,152

2,457

588

8

11,559

1,085

330

Theology and religious vocations

1

2

0

0

674

8,938

7,541

1,520

Transportation and materials moving

819

2,186

65

0

611

3,003

983

0

Visual and performing arts

10,731

47,212

7,276

1,097

7,898

41,928

7,642

472

Other and unclassified

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1 Includes Ph.D., Ed.D., and comparable degrees at the doctoral level. Excludes first-professional degrees, such as M.D., D.D.S., and law degrees.

2 Excludes "Construction trades" and "Mechanics and repair technologies," which are listed separately.

NOTE: Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. To facilitate trend comparisons, certain aggregations have been made of the degree fields as reported in the IPEDS Fall survey: "Agriculture and natural resources" includes Agriculture, agriculture operations, and related sciences and Natural resources and conservation; and "Business" includes Business management, marketing, and related support services and Personal and culinary services.